The AuctionBytes Blog has been giving a voice to online merchants since its launch in 2005. Named one of the world's top 30 blogs in 2008 by "Blogging Heroes." Weigh in with your thoughts on the joys and pitfalls of selling online.

By: David Steiner

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Feedback on eBay certainly has taken a few left turns since Pierre's initial concept that allowed trading partners to rate each other. In probably the most dramatic deviation, Sellers will no longer be allowed to leave Negative or Neutral feedback for Buyers. There are some other changes, which can be found here: http://pages.ebay.com/services/forum/new.html but this is the most interesting paragraph:

What changes are being made to the eBay Feedback system?

There are five key elements to the new Feedback system being introduced in the first half of 2008:

1. Beginning in February, buyers and sellers will be able to earn up to one Feedback per week from the same trading partner. Today, members may only affect each other's Feedback scores one time, regardless of the number of transactions between the parties. This change will both encourage repeat transactions and reward good service. 2. Sellers will no longer be able to leave negative or neutral Feedback for buyers. This change will occur in May, 2008. 3. Removal of negative and neutral Feedback left by members who are suspended or who fail to respond to the Unpaid Item Process (UPI). 4. Positive Feedback percentage will be based on the past 12 months of Feedback, rather than lifetime, since it is most indicative of the seller's recent performance. 5. Restrictions on when Feedback can be left: * Buyers must wait three days before leaving negative or neutral Feedback * Instead of 90 days, members will be able to leave Feedback for 60 days

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We'll be speaking with John Donohoe later today, so if you have any specific questions, post them here before noon, and we'll try to incorporate the best ones in our interview.

Call 1-877-222-0856 and leave a 60 second message about what you think of these changes.

by: Ming the Merciless

Tue Jan 29 15:04:05 2008

The following is what I'll be doing:

I'll spend a day or however long it takes scrutinizing my competitors' feedback beginning with those I believe are good, honest sellers. Then I'll evaluate any neutral or negative feedback they've received and then check the feedback this buyer has left for all sellers. Problematical buyers will be added to the my blocked bidders list.

I will begin corresponding with all unknown quantity or new buyers ONLY through the ebay system so if a buyer attempts to leverage feedback or engage in blackmail, ebay can't use their sorry excuse that the email didn't come through their system so therefore they can take no action against the member.

Every time I receive an undeserved negative feedback, I will block the buyer, and I'll send them a certified form letter stating that I will sue them for malicious and slanderous comments designed to damage my business reputation if buyer doesn't petition ebay within three days of receipt of this demand letter for removal of their negative feedback. I will make it clear that unspecified further legal action will follow if buyer fails to respond or have the feedback removed.

If not done, then I will next send the buyer a notice of intent to sue in my LOCAL federal court if feedback isn't removed.

Next I'll inexpensively ($35 the last time I checked) file a pro se case (without an attorney) in my local FEDERAL court with buyer(s) and ebay as the defendants. Let's see if ebay legally can dictate lawsuit venues for the purpose of discouraging legitimate causes of action.

1. I'll request summary judgement and a restitution request to the court to order buyer/ defendant to reimburse me in fill if a charge is involved or reimburse me for the cost of the item plus shipping/insurance costs.

2. I will request the court to compel ebay to remove said feedback within 72 hours of receiving the court's order (ebay has been known to take up to a year to obey court orders like this) and restore or adjust all feedback and DSR ratings to what they were or would have been prior to the negative feedback and to immediately remove any listing restrictions ebay has placed on my account.

3. I will request the court to strongly admonish ebay against taking ANY sort of punitive or retaliatory action against me for having filed the case either during litigation or after the conclusion of the case.

4. I will ask the court to require both defendants to reimburse me for all costs associated with this action.

5. I'll ask the court to compel ebay to void these new feedback changes immediately on the basis that these changes are arbitrary, capricious, and blatantly encourage the commission of the crimes of credit card fraud, misdemeanor and felony theft, misdemeanor and theft by deception, telecommunications fraud or the use of the US Postal Serice to commit misdemeanor and felony theft and fraud.

In the petition accompanying your lawsuit, you must state the facts of your case and their chronology, attach exhibits that include all written documents (including screen shots) pertaining to the transaction, and any and all ebay policies pertaining to feedback.

You don't have to be a lawyer to file a lawsuit nor do you have to know legal terms. The court will make allowances for any errors in form.

Summary judgement simply means that the court will render a decision without a trial which is why airtight documentation of a case is important.

In the meantime, I'll be able to use my subpoena power as a plaintiff to subpoena a reasonable number of documents and records from ebay which would include any and all intra company emails, intra company correspondence, memorandums, etc. related to feedback. What fun I'll have reading all of these and possibly making them public once I win my case which will NOT settled using a sealed judgement.

When the word gets out that there will be undesirable consequences for both bad buyers and ebay as a result of these new policies, we might see some fairly fast changes.

GET THIS LINK!!! http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=162836124

I have just signed up with MySpace for no other reason than to send Bill Cobb a message which follows:Thank-you very much for destroying eBay for us sellers. My selling crawled to a halt due to previous policy changes but NOW? I see why Meg left before she was beheaded in the upcoming mutiny. I have NEVER seen such angry blogs as I have read this morning. Seems the other auction sites will be VERY busy. I hope you enjoy your fancy lifestyle and more importantly, I hope you can sleep at night. Just remember my nic, magicjeannie37. I am fighting to keep my house which I payed off, but now won't even be able to pay property taxes in time. Your sellers are MORE than angry. There is a mutiny in the works. I hope that the dictator can take an afternoon to read us peons posts. Auctionbytes is a terrific place to start. Sincerely (extremely sincerely),Jean Ortiz

I have also sent a ''contact us'' message to him through eBay under feedback-problem not listed.....let's FLOOD them!KEEP passing on the link when you post! PLEASE

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Justine

Tue Jan 29 15:08:49 2008

Here's a way to circumvent the "positive only"- check the positive box and then leave comments in big capital letters, like BEWARE DEADBEAT, DEMANDING, HARASSING, PSYCHO BUYER! AVOID! DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU! Not perfect and won't affect their score, but if the buyer is going to leave the seller a neg or neut anyway, what have you got to lose? On second thought, don't even bother. Just get out while you still can!

Does anyone know a contact # for RYAN SEACREST or his radio show? He is listed as a friend of Bill on MySpace. We should flood him too!! If so please email me at preciosabelinda@msn.comThanks!

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Max

Tue Jan 29 15:13:09 2008

The new feedback rules will encourage fraud and irresponsible bidding by buyers. Such actions by buyers will go unpunished. Other sellers will not be able to avoid bad buyers. This is discrimination. Is that even legal?

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Stephen

Tue Jan 29 15:13:24 2008

Although I'm a powerseller with 100% feedback, I will not be listing more items on eBay when the new policy begins. If my experience with a buyer is negative, then I should be able to give an honest commentary...and not forced to leave a positive one!

by: Justine

by: pauladeane

Tue Jan 29 15:18:21 2008

Maybe they are getting the message. The Discussion Boards are so overtaxed they will hardly load now.

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Lucky

Tue Jan 29 15:18:24 2008

I am a platinum powerseller on eBay. There is a fundamental problem with the decision that sellers cannot leave negative feedback. eBay's reason is to encourage buyers to buy.The real encouragement for buyers is a seller's feedback.All of the bad buyers will take advantage of this new policy and start leaving negative feedback for sellers while all good sellers will be subject to receiving negative feedback from buyers as well as tricky competitors.This policy will definitely decrease all sellers feedback rates, no matter how good they are, and ultimately buyers will be discouraged from seeing negative feedback on sellers profiles.Is eBay really that dumb?Nonpaying bidder disputes have a huge loophole as non-paying bidders can leave a comment to the dispute and keep their feedback privileges, and as we all know, they do.This feedback system is used by online retailers, but in that case the buyer has to pay in order to complete the transaction before leaving a comment. With eBay, it is different.

For me, it is time to think about alternatives to eBay, even though change is not simple or easy. If we allow them to do whatever they want, no matter how unfair the situation is to us, they will be encouraged and just make more unjust changes. As they have been doing for the past few years.

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: larry

Tue Jan 29 15:18:40 2008

THIS IS ONLY GOING TO HURT THE SELLERS, NOT THE NON-PAYERS OR SCAMMERS. IT WILL ALSO HURT EBAY BECAUSE I WILL NOT LIST THAT MUCH ON THIER SITE ANYMORE. THERE ARE OTHER SITES OUT THERE !!!

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Beth

Tue Jan 29 15:19:35 2008

Did you forget about your sellers? How are we able to protect ourselves?

If the feedback situation wasn't bad enough you have gone and increased fees after acting like you were giving us a break with insertion fees and gallery fees. You are going to lose lots of great sellers.

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Sue

Tue Jan 29 15:20:31 2008

I'm going to put most of my merchandise back into my shop.......Feedback aside Ebay is quickly becoming NOT the best game in town...

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Richard Ertel

Tue Jan 29 15:26:01 2008

Why are nearly all these comments from sellers? Speaking from a buyers perspective, I also have 100 % rating. Very few sellers will leave feedback until I first do it. That is back assward. Once I have paid in a prompt manner, I should receive feedback for completing my part of the contract. Some sellers even tell me that they will leave negative feedback if I leave bad feedback, even if it were justified on my part. You folks talk about the bad buyers, but there seems to be plenty of bad sellers as well. I think it fair that eBay should require the seller to leave feedback first as the buyer is the first to perform his part of the contract. Unfortunately, they can't force someone to leave feedback, so maybe these changes are the best compromise. By the way, I am both a buyer and a seller, so I may be less biased than some of you that are only sellers.

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Old_school_software_inc

Tue Jan 29 15:30:18 2008

GOODBYE EBAY - HELLO AMAZON!

OR MAYBE GOOGLE AUCTIONS (PLEASE!)

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: The Walrus

Tue Jan 29 15:30:57 2008

Well, I have waited all day and read all comments and got the eBay 'message' covering same issue - I have checked the calendar at least 6 times and no, today is not April 1st. We await Ina's synopsis of a conversation with Donohoe. Say it ain't so, John

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Justine

Tue Jan 29 15:32:39 2008

Count me in on the February 18 Boycott. But that is way too much notice for ebay to countermove with 10 cent listings or whatever. Better to give them NO WARNING like they do to us. AS OF THIS MINUTE, I WILL NOT LIST OR BUY ANYTHING ON EBAY FOR THE NEXT WEEK. I hope some of you will join me. I don't really care if I lose a few sales- it will still be worth it to do even a tiny bit of damage back to them! I'll be permanently out of ebay anyway in the next few months, so what's the difference? Are any of you sellers out there who are leaving anyway willing to boycott ebay for a week starting right now? There are thousands of us out there- let's stick together and stick it to them!

by: Ming the Merciless

csme@ebay.com

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: George

Tue Jan 29 15:34:04 2008

I have 100% positive feedback. Worked hard for it too. I'm not willing to stay on eBay if unscrupulous buyers can now post negatives with impunity for trivial or unethical reasons. This destroys the ''trust'' factor that is essential to a healthy marketplace. I didn't become an eBay seller so I could be defrauded by customers and crapped on by eBay's corporate ''geniuses.''

If this idiotic change is not reversed, (and I'm confident that the arrogant jerks in charge won't reverse it,) then I will not list one more thing on eBay. When my present listings expire, I'm gone.

You know, I used to be a loyal GM car buyer years ago. Then they started selling me junk and treating me with disrespect. Guess what happened? I sold my GM cars and started buying Toyotas. Then I got all my relatives to do the same. In the 10 years that have passed since then my family and I have purchased 9 Toyotas and ZERO GM cars. Millions of other Americans did the same. Guess what? Toyota has now de-throned GM. The same thing will eventually happen to eBay. The only question is which outfit will be brilliant enough to provide a serious alternative to eBay that has no listing fees, no PayPal fees, modest FVF's and an honest feedback system that is neither biased towards buyers or sellers? Any takers?

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Andrea

Tue Jan 29 15:35:25 2008

Buyers will now be allowed to bid and not pay, respond with "I don't want it" in the dispute console, and get away with it. Sellers will be stuck with fees to pay for no reason. Sellers will have no way to know which bidders are dead beat because we cannot leave proper feedback.

Upcoming Changes to Feedback on eBay

by: Ming the Merciless

Tue Jan 29 15:35:30 2008

BOYCOTT ORGANIZERS:

Please schedule at least five alternate days at least two days apart and devise a Plan B for ebay listing promotions.

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